Does Cam Newton’s return mean the Patriots draft a quarterback?
The New England Patriots re-signed Cam Newton on Friday. When looking at the contract, does this mean the team wants to draft a quarterback of the future?
Cam Newton is coming back to the New England Patriots. The move that was first reported by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, is the team’s first at quarterback. Patriots fans are disappointed, but this is still only a one-year deal. This means Newton might be the mentor to the next quarterback. For this to happen, the Patriots would need to take a quarterback in the draft.
The contract is not heavily weighted. If some of the reports are true, the base salary is somewhere between $3.5 and $5 million. His cap number will only be roughly $5 million. With incentives, the contract could reach $13.6 million. Most of the incentives are based on playing time and the team making the playoffs. If he doesn’t start, his cost is a fair amount for a veteran backup.
This is the type of contract the Patriots normally value because it keeps a player hungry. More importantly, in this case, it allows the team to avoid paying out a lot of money if the player is benched. Right now, Cam Newton is the clear starter in New England. This will likely be the case heading into the NFL draft unless someone like Jimmy Garropolo hits the open market.
Cam Newton back with the Patriots could pave the way for a rookie quarterback.
One thing the Patriots could now consider is taking a quarterback in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft and grooming him to take over if Cam Newton plays similar to how he played last season. It is possible the Patriots draft the next quarterback by either trading up from their current No. 15 spot or wait to see if someone falls to them.
If the team does not value one of the top five prospects projected to go in the first round, maybe they will take their chances with one of the more unpolished quarterback prospects in the second or third round. Maybe the Patriots like Trey Lance or Justin Fields but they do not have the opportunity to trade up to draft one. Perhaps at that point, they view either Jamie Newman or Kellen Mond as potential steals later in the draft.
Even if the Patriots draft a quarterback, what we know about Newton’s contract means that they do not have to play the rookie next season. If Cam Newton can get the Patriots to the playoffs or even beyond, I am sure the team would be happy to pay him close to $14 million for that. The rookie can watch and learn and perhaps it is a win-win for everyone.
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What the Newton contract most likely tells us is that the team is looking to bring in a young quarterback. The draft is the best and easiest place for this to happen. If Newton continues to look like nothing like his old self, the team could move on and play the rookie for the rest of the season. They will not have paid out too much money and the rookie will gain experience. Now we just need to see who piques the team’s interest.